The Bixby Program in Population and Reproductive
Health sponsored a delegation of 16 UCLA School
of Public Health students to attend a one-day
Reproductive Freedom Conference in Sacramento,
organized by Planned Parenthood Federation of
California, on January 21, 2003. The conference
educated the participants on bills affecting reproductive
health that had been passed by the California
legislature in previous years. It also taught
participants how to be effective lobbyists for
reproductive health. During the conference, the
participants actually lobbied various California
legislators to pass a new comprehensive sexuality
education bill. They also had the chance to interact
with various organizations engaged in reproductive
health advocacy and services in California.
One of the UCLA participants, Talia Baruth, described
the experience as follows:
"The Celebrate Reproductive Freedom Day introduced
me to many organizations dedicated to maintaining
reproductive choices, both advocacy organizations
and religious-based groups. The discussions about
the proposed California Sex Education Reform Bill
(SB 71) revealed to me the current problematic
patchwork of sex education laws and the need to
ensure the delivery of accurate and appropriate
sex education in schools. Besides learning numerous
advocacy tips and meeting with State Senate and
Assembly members, hearing from and talking to
people dedicated to ensuring reproductive choice
was particularly powerful for me. Many of the
individuals at the conference repeatedly mentioned
how happy they were to see so many young people
at the conference, most of whom were part of our
UCLA delegation. As a person born after the Roe
v. Wade decision, I never knew a time in America
where women did not have abortion as a choice.
I look forward to using my new advocacy skills
to ensure that women continue to have a variety
of reproductive choices."
